VIDEO: Commonly Confused Words EP.1

This lesson we will talk about Thai words that are used for ‘when’. We have three different words for ‘when’. It sounds like why we need to complicate things, right? Don’t worry it is simpler than you think. Just watch this video to the end and you will understand it clearly.

เมื่อไหร่ /mûea-rài/ is a question word used to form any ‘when’ questions.

For example;

When will you come to Thailand?

คุณจะมาประเทศไทยเมื่อไหร่ /kun jà maa bprà-têed tai mûea-rài/

When did you start learning Thai?

คุณเริ่มเรียนภาษาไทยเมื่อไหร่ /kun rêrm rain paa-săa tai mûea-rài/

**NOTE: The question word เมื่อไหร่ /mûea-rài/ can also be put in the beginning of the sentence.

When will you come to Thailand again?

เมื่อไหร่คุณจะมาประเทศไทย /mûea-rài kun jà maa bprà-têed tai /

When are you coming back home?

เมื่อไหร่คุณจะกลับบ้าน /mûea-rài kun jà glàp bâan/

เวลา /way-laa/ is used to talk about something that is always true or habits. Similar to ‘whenever’ in English.

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Hi, Mod!
Also here we can remember about the word ยาม /yaam/, that you’ve mentioned in “Sweet Thai Idioms and Proverbs”:
ยามรักน้ำต้มผักก็ว่าหวาน /yaam rák náam dtôm pàk gâw wâa wăan/ ยามชังน้ำตาลก็ว่าขม /yaam chang náam-dtaan gâw wâa kŏm/. “When people love each other …”
In some contexts ยาม means WHEN and in some other, as I understand, is equal to ตอน (at +) time (of day). ยามเช้า = at the morning. But ยาม is a formal.
Sure, it is not for beginners, but can you explain?

Originally I just wanted to pick up a few phases for my trip to Bangkok but your lessons inspire me more than I expected. I have learn so much from those role plays and clear explanation and also found that Thai language is very charming!!

I really want to say thank you and really appreciate for your hard effort. 🙂

Sawatdii ka Tin, thank you for your kind comments. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed our lessons and found them inspiring. Please keep learning and come back to Bangkok to practice your Thai with the locals.

รถ /rót/ means ‘car’ and ติด /dtìt/ means ‘to be stuck’. When joing both words together you will get a sentence รถติด /rót-dtìat’ which means “the cars are jammed”. The negative sentence would be รถไม่ติด /rót mâi dtìt/ which means traffic is good.

ตลอด /dtà-làwd’ means always. It is always put at the end of a sentence.

thank you for this very helpful lesson. Until now I knew only Mua rai and people would tell me wella and I thought they would talk about the time!!! very confusing situations.
Thank you for your help and for sure I will keep-on watching 1 of your videos everyday. And re-watching them as long as I can speak thai OK
By the way “vegetables” in most of the time a plural and a verb is missing in this sentence “When it rains the traffic always bad” 😉 .

Hi, Another good post and well explained.
You must be very busy as the gaps between your posts are getting longer and longer.
I would like a post covering driving in Thailand, filling up with petrol,flat tyre,breaking down,dealing with the police at road blocks.
Thanks.
Brian. UK